A Light Will Shine
by Zeroize
Summary: Eren Yeager is an outgoing college student who happens to meet Levi Ackerman during a fated trip to the city. Little does Eren know Levi has mysophobia (a pathological fear of germs.) Can Eren help Levi overcome his phobia? -slow build, rating will change, AU story-
1. Chapter 1

Maybe it was fate that brought them together that night, or a series of misunderstandings and unsure feelings. The only thing Eren was sure of was that he absolutely did not recognize the apartment he woke up in. He was wrapped in white sheets that smelled freshly cleaned. He sat up and looked around, noting that no one else seemed to be around. Everything was very tidy and neat, 'Ah, boring...' he thought. It was strange though, almost as if the air in the room had never been breathed in by another person, as if the apartment wasn't lived in at all.

A small piece of paper rested on a white nightstand beside the bed, Eren picked it up and read it:

 _'Dirty drunk,_  
 _Please don't touch anything in my apartment. Your phone and wallet are on the table. I have to work until late so please excuse yourself.'_

Eren felt his eyebrow twitch, 'This person... is he nice or a complete asshole?' He sighed in frustration as he had no recollection of the previous night at all. He dropped the note on the floor before looking around, his face turning red as he realized he was in nothing but boxers and a shirt that wasn't his own. "Ahhhh where the hell am I?!" He whined as he walked out of the bedroom and into a large livingroom space.

He paused as he looked over at a large sliding glass door. The sun shone brightly in, illuminating the white furniture. He felt his breath catch in his throat at the view. He had to be at least 50 floors up above the city, overlooking thousands of buildings and skyscrapers, the ocean glimmering in the distance. 'Exactly... exactly what kind of person lives here?'

He turned around to see the kitchen where everything was renovated and luxurious, his clothes were folded very neatly on top of a white granite table. He grabbed them and began putting his pants on, noting that they smelled freshly washed. He grabbed his wallet, phone and house key that were also on the table. "Thirty missed calls! Shit, shit, shit, shit!" He scrolled through his phone frantically, 'Armin and Mikasa must be so worried...' He checked his missed texts.

 **Armin:**  
 _Eren are you safe? Where did you go?_

 _We're going back to your home please call yourself a taxi._

 _You aren't home, we're calling the police, please call us._

 _MIKASA IS SO PISSED._

He didn't bother to read the rest of the messages, he tapped Armin's name to call him. Before it could hardly ring on time his friend answered in a panic. "Eren?! Is that you?"

"Yea, it's me, i'm so sorry I got drunk and didn't hear my phone. I'm safe, I uhhh crashed at a hotel, i'm about to call a taxi home."

It sounded as if Armin's voice was shaking, "We're so glad you're safe. I stayed at your house last night waiting for you to come home. I'm going to explain everything to Mikasa, she's been worried sick."  
"I'm sorry, thank you Armin..." Eren hung up letting out a small sigh. "Welp, time to go home, thanks for the hospitality random stranger." He paused as he noticed a card sitting on the kitchen counter. He carefully picked it up, in gold embroidered letters across the front it simply read:

 **Levi**  
 **Survey Corps Manager**  
 **xxx-xxx-xxxx**

He slipped the card into his pocket before calling a taxi to go home.

* * *

 **THE PREVIOUS DAY:**

* * *

It felt great to be out of class and free for the weekend; finally college exams had ended and Eren was ready for a celebration. "Ah, Mikasa! Armin!" He shouted as he spotted his friends across the campus courtyard.

"Eren!" Armin shouted back, waving with excitement. Mikasa waving a small greeting behind him. Eren jogged across the courtyard to his friends, "Phew those exams were intense. I was thinking we could go by my place to change and I found this really neat little bar and curry shop downtown we can go celebrate."

Armin was always excited to go out with Eren, "Sounds great! I brought a change of clothes with me just in case you wanted to go out tonight." Mikasa nodded in agreement, though she didn't speak much she followed Eren and Armin everywhere. It had become a tradition for the three of them to hang out at Eren's on weekends since he had his own small house that he inherited with Mikasa after their parents had passed away.

They all stopped by his home to drop off their belongings and change before calling a taxi to head downtown. Eren absolutely loved to visit the city since they lived in the countryside. His eyes lit up as they approached the towering buildings and bright billboards. They exited the cab into the busy streets. Eren skipped ahead of his friends, "I heard from someone in class that this place is the best! Kinda small but really good drinks. Plus I never really get to see the city at night ya know? It should be really cool!"

Evening was quickly approaching as they made their way into the bar. It was actually very quiet inside, colorfully lit up and emitted a comforting atmosphere.

"Welcome! Please have a seat anywhere." The host greeted them. Eren ran to a large booth near the corner and jumped into the comfortable seat. "Ah you can see the whole bar from here, this place looks so cool!" He exclaimed.

"This is actually very nice." Mikasa sat down beside Eren, taking in the experience. Eren didn't hesitate to begin ordering some overly complicated sounding alcoholic drinks.

"Maybe you should pace yourself, Eren, we have the whole night ahead of us." Armin chimed in, always looking out for his friends safety. Of course his words went unheeded as usual. Eren didn't drink often so after his very first drink he was already talking more quickly than usual and bouncing around his seat. Armin noted Mikasa watching Eren carefully, smiling at his behavior. Mikasa had always been watching Eren, protecting him.

The mistake that night happened when Armin remembered hearing about a bookstore that was open 24 hours. It was just across the street and apparently had some very valuable books that were hard to find online. "Eren, Mikasa, I'm going to run across the street to check out this shop. I'll be back shortly."

Armin chose not to drink but he could tell Eren was already way passed his limit and even Mikasa looked a little flushed in the face but they insisted on ordering more. "Ah!" Mikasa spoke up, "It's dangerous in the city streets alone, let me escort you. We can be back by the time the next round of orders come up." While she seemed like she would prefer to stay there with a tipsy Eren, she couldn't let her friend go out alone either.

"That's a good idea actually, it will be quick! Eren, are you okay waiting here for ten minutes?" Armin couldn't see anything going wrong considering the bar was actually more upscale.

"I'm fine, i'm fine~ I'm waiting for more of that cake drink thing that Mikasa ordered for me!" He gave them a cheerful thumbs up as they both got up from the table. Now while Eren was still sober enough to understand he needed to wait at the table for them to return something caught his attention earlier in the night. He glanced over at the bar where a man sat on a stool by himself. His back looked small and delicate, he was dressed in a rather expensive looking business suit. He noted that he was wearing white gloves and hadn't touched much of his drink all evening.

'Hmmmm maybe he's waiting for a pretty girl? Maybe he got stood up?' He thought to himself, and while he had no romantic interests in men he still didn't feel right seeing someone sitting alone. 'I should invite him over.' It was probably the alcohol giving him the courage to stand up once his friends left as he walked over to the bar, taking a seat beside the man. Up close he had a very delicate face, almost like that of a girl. He felt the blood rush to his face at the thought, 'No, no, no, no stupid alcohol. My brain is mush right now.' Though he finally walked up here he wasn't exactly sure what to say. "He..."

"What are you staring at?" The man cut him off abruptly.

Eren froze, shivers running down his spine at the glare he received from the man. "W-well you were sitting alone so I came to say hello..."

"So? I sit here alone frequently. Did your girlfriends back there ditch you or somethin'?"

Eren snorted in disbelief, this was not the conversation he pictured having at all. He felt himself snap back, "Eh? At least I can get a girlfriend and i'm not sitting at some bar by myself wearing butler gloves like a weirdo." He watched as the bartender suddenly froze, turning to walk quickly away. The man beside him was emitting a deadly aura. 'Shit, he's a monster!' He swore he could see his life flash before his eyes as if he were about to die, he flinched expecting to be yelled at or even punched but nothing came.

The man exhaled, spinning on his chair and getting up. He placed a tip for the bartender on the counter and turned to leave. "Ah, wait!" Eren knew he screwed up, he said something he didn't mean, even if the man was being a little rude to him.

"Go away."

Eren wasn't going to take no for an answer at that point as he followed the man out of the bar and into the bustling city streets. "Look, wait, i'm sorry okay?" Eren chased after him but walking quickly made him feel the alcohol catch up to him all at once. He stumbled and tripped, hitting the concrete on all fours. The world was spinning around him, and everyone around him kept walking as if nothing happened.

"Oi, you alright?" He heard a soft yet cold voice. He looked up to see the man from the bar kneeling before him.

"I think... ugh, I had too much to drink."

"Get up. My place is nearby, i'll get you some water and you can call a ride home."

Just when Eren thought this guy was a complete jerk he was suddenly being very nice, maybe he wasn't all that bad. "Ah, help me up?" Eren asked, the world still spinning underneath him too fast to get up.

"No, get up."

'Pft maybe he is an asshole after all.' He pushed himself up, he felt his arms were scraped up from falling but it was nothing unbearable. 'How embarrassing.' he thought as he followed him. "Oh, by the way, my name is Eren." He felt like he was slurring his words a bit but at least he could formulate sentences. He was far too drunk to remember he was supposed to be waiting obediently at the bar for his friends to return though.

The man glanced back at him over his shoulder but didn't bother replying. It was frustrating that Eren couldn't read his body language at all, even more frustrating that this stranger didn't even have the decency of giving him his name in return. Having too much alcohol made the walk feel excruciatingly long as they walked through the busy city streets through crowds of people. It was overwhelming to his senses as he felt himself walking closer behind the man.

Finally they arrived at large towering building. It had a lobby much like a hotel, everything looked overpriced and gaudy. They took an elevator up to an apartment where he watched fascinated as the man used a touch pad device on the door to unlock it.

"So fancy~" Eren's eyes lit up as he entered the apartment. Even though it was night time The city lights illuminated a large sliding glass door in the living room. "Holy crap, we're above the whole city!" He shouted, running over to the window and pressing his hands to it.

"Please don't touch the glass..."

Eren couldn't hear the irritation in the man's voice as he shouted, "Amazing!" Eren was smiling ear to ear as he turned around, though the stranger deadpanned. The excited boy went to jump onto the white couch before the man finally half shouted at him.

"Wait! Don't sit there, and take off your shoes. Please change into these clean clothes and feel free to use the shower."

Eren laughed almost manically in his drunken joy as he threw off his shoes and began to take off his shirt. He could have swore at that moment the man looked even ten times more upset at that moment but he couldn't care less. "Loosen up. And I don't need a shower or nothing." He tossed his shirt to the floor and watched as the man snatched it up along with his shoes. 'Ah, this is fun.'

"It's hot in here." Eren whined as he began to take off his pants.

"No, no! Stop taking off your clothes dammit." The man growled which only made Eren laugh more.

"Oops." Eren said nonchalantly as he threw his pants across the apartment, landing on the kitchen counter.

He watched the man run after them and grab them up, going quickly into the next room over. He reappeared with a shirt and gray sweatpants neatly folded in his arms, handing them to the boy that now stood in his livingroom in nothing but boxers.

"Please..." The man grunted. "Put these on."

Eren sighed, "What are you, my dad or somethin'?" He snatched the clothes from him, putting on the shirt and tossing the sweatpants on the floor before tripping over a coffee table and landing on the couch. "Ouch."

The man sat down quietly beside him on the couch, resigning to his fate at this point. Eren was able to push himself back up into a sitting position as he glanced over the man next to him. He was still dressed in a business suit, but he had removed the jacked and had a white button up shirt on. He still wore his gloves and stared blankly at the floor in front of him as if deep in thought.

Eren spoke softly, "What's your name?" No response. "Why do you wear those gloves?" No response. "How old are you?" No response.

The man finally looked over at him and Eren could feel his breath catch in his throat as their eyes met momentarily. 'Ah... what is this feeling in my chest?' He was fascinated by him. Though the man was cold, he had soft and small features, his hair was cut very neatly and he smelled faintly like lavender. He hardly had a moment to take in his surroundings before he felt himself being shoved forcefully onto his back.

The man pinned him there, his expression unchanging before he finally spoke. "You shouldn't trust random strangers, what would you do if I had bad intentions?"

Eren felt as if he was about to be devoured, their bodies pressed together, his shoulders pinned down by gloved hands. The man leaned close enough that he could feel his breath on his lips. "You're not like that." Eren's voice was hushed, but it was full of sureness. "You didn't bring me here and give me clean clothes just to do something bad with me. Besides, there would be no merit to harm me."

"Merit..." The man repeated, his expression remained blank and unreadable. Yet, somehow, Eren was still positive he was not a bad guy. He released his grip from his shoulders, getting up off the couch. "You're a bit drunk so you can sleep there tonight. I want you out by tomorrow."

Eren didn't even hear that last statement as he was already dozing off drunk of the couch. He awoke abruptly a short time later, wiping a small string of drool off his mouth. He was sleeping on the couch, covered in a thin sheet, a pillow placed on top of him. He shouted suddenly, throwing the pillow across the room. "Ah, that's right, i'm at that guys place... where did he go?"

Eren got up from the couch, glancing around he saw the bedroom door and decided to let himself in. The room was pitch black, he stumbled around, his hands in front of him as he tried to find the bed. 'Found it!' He chuckled to himself as he crawled slowly onto the bed, trying not to wake the other man. He couldn't help but picture his face, maybe it was the alcohol speaking, but his face was rather cute. 'Ah if he was a girl it would be so perfect. Wait, what am I thinking?!' He curled up under the blankets, noting that the man must have been a very heavy sleeper.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" The man snapped. Eren flinched, 'Shit, i'm caught!'

"I uhh... I had a bad dream." He lied. He prepared himself to be kicked out of the bed but the man remained completely silent. He was afraid to break the awkward silence. The bed was very warm, though they weren't touching he could feel heat emitting from the other man's body. He could hear his soft breath. 'Wait... is he actually going to let me stay here like this?'

He felt a deep heat in his stomach, like candle flames flickering over and over. It rose from his stomach up into his throat and took his breath away. He had never slept in someone else's bed before, his mind flashed back to the couch when the man's smaller body had pinned him down. Eren _wanted_ him. 'Ah I drank too much.' He thought dully as he forced himself to calm down and fall asleep.

The next morning he awoke in a daze, everything ached. Worst of all he had absolutely no idea where he was, nor could he remember how he got there. Even so something in his heart felt uneasy and excited at the same time. As he picked up the business card from the counter to leave he couldn't control the tightness in his chest. "Levi..." He spoke his name softly as he stepped out of the apartment and called a taxi to get home.

* * *

 **Hello there, thanks for reading the first chapter of my story~ I appreciate any and all reviews! I hope to have the next chapter up quickly, it's a little bit of a slow build but I would like to develop Eren and Levi's relationship more in the next couple chapters.**

 **See you next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

You see there was this man and he just appeared out of the blue. To Eren's surprise, he was the same kind of person as him, he had the same kind of eyes, at first sight, he realized he wasn't a solitary existence in this world. He was happy. That's right, until he met him he was alone in the world, he had not a soul with whom to share the scenery before his eyes, and not a soul to share the music in his ears.

But it saddened him, because the moment he saw him he knew deep down they were never meant to be, yes, that man had refused to side with him. He rejected Eren - the only person who could see the same scenery.

* * *

 **ONE DAY EARLIER**

The car ride home felt like an eternity, Eren only wished he could pinpoint why he felt so uncomfortable. He pulled the gold embroidered card from his pocket, staring at it blankly from the back of the taxi. He felt drawn to it, moved by the name written on the front.

'Ah, there's a phone number here, maybe I should save it in my phone so I don't lose it.' He pulled out his phone, dialing the number. While he meant to save it to contacts he accidentally hit the call button. "Shit!" He cursed forgetting momentarily about the taxi driver ahead of him. "Sorry, sorry."

"Hello?" He heard a voice echo on the other end of the line.

Eren paused for a moment before his words found him. "Ah... hello! This is Eren... I was saving your number in my phone and I just kinda accidentally called it." He felt embarrassed, he wasn't even sure if the card belonged to the owner of the apartment he woke up in.

"I see. I hope you made it home safely."

"I have! Err well i'm on my way home now anyway." At least that confirmed he was speaking with the right person.

"I'm at work now so please don't use this number for casual calls. Have a nice afternoon."

He heard the line disconnect. 'What a jerk.' He thought bitterly. At least hearing his voice brought back some hazy memories of the previous night. He suddenly felt the blood rush to his face with embarrassment as he recalled being pinned down on the couch.

"We're arriving at your destination." The taxi driver broke his thoughts. Eren hastily grabbed his wallet out to pay the fee and exit the vehicle. He hated to admit it but it was a little nice being back in the countryside where his surroundings were very quiet. Well, would have been quiet; he could already hear Armin shouting his name before he could close the car door.

Eren groaned as he made his way into the house, Armin was already steps behind him. "Eren, what happened? Where did you go? We were worried sick and you couldn't even call us."

"Look i'm really sorry, I was a little drunk and I had my phone turned off at the bar to preserve the battery."

"But why did you leave the bar?"

Eren couldn't exactly say he left the bar with a complete stranger - a man at that. "I thought I saw someone I knew... but my memory is a little foggy honestly, i'm fine. I found a hotel near the bar and I came right home. I won't worry you like that again I promise."

He could tell by looking at his friends face that he was still concerned but he somehow seemed to accept his story. It's not like he was really lying, his memory was a bit foggy.

"Eren, I'm just glad you're safe. It's not me you need to sa..." Armin was abruptly cut off mid sentence as Mikasa stormed into the living room. Without warning she gripped his shirt collar, staring at his face for a moment.

Eren closed his eyes, preparing to be hit, but it never came. Instead she relaxed her grip, letting out a small sigh before speaking.

"We were just really worried. Please don't do that to us again. I'm going to lay down because I haven't slept yet..."

He felt a twinge of guilt, he never intended to make them worry so much. Mikasa turned and left the room. Her and Eren shared the house since his parents passed, she was practically like his adopted sister since they grew up together.

"I'm going to head home and get some rest too." Armin scratched the back of his head, giving Eren a small smile.

"Yea, thanks Armin."

"By the way, Eren, where did you get that shirt from?"

Eren froze for a moment, he put his shirt on over the one he woke up in so it showed through. "I uhh... don't exactly remember." He laughed nervously. He hated Armin's keen observation skills at times. Thankfully his friend left with no further questions so he could finally relax.

Unfortunately relaxing was the last thing he could do that day as the hours went by agonizingly slow. By the time it was evening he found himself laying in bed staring at the small business card once more. He wondered why someone would give him a place to stay the night but then sound so cold over the phone. After a lot of debating he finally made up his mind to try texting the number, against his better judgment.

 **EREN**  
 _You told me not to call so can I text you instead?_

"Ah, I sent it!" He shouted. Somehow he was excited, he stared at his phone while waiting anxiously for a response. Minutes felt like hours before he heard his phone ping.

 **LEVI**  
 _Even if I said no you probably won't listen._

 **EREN**  
 _I want to know more about you._

After that his phone fell silent. After getting no replies he let out a long sigh, forcing himself out of bed to go to the kitchen. "Mikasa!" He yelled.

"Yes?" Eren jumped at the voice behind him.

"Sorry I didn't know you were right there. Do you want food? I'm going to heat up some leftovers."

"Sure." She sat at the table, staring at him with a blank expression.

"Mikasa... do you believe in fate? Like a fated encounter?"

She sat quietly for a while as if thinking, "Not sure. Did you meet somebody?"

"Just speaking hypothetically, forget it though." As he pulled the leftover food from the refrigerator to heat it he heard the familiar ping of his phone. His face lit up as he skipped over to the counter where he set it down. He had no way of seeing the suspicious glare from Mikasa from the table.

 **LEVI**  
 _There's a small cafe next to the bar where I met you. Can you meet me there tomorrow at 3pm?_

Eren nearly dropped the plate that he still held in his other hand as he read the message. Thankfully Mikasa jumped up to take it from him before he could. "Ah thanks Mikasa, sorry I gotta reply to this, do you mind heating up the food?"

He didn't wait for her reply as he ran full speed to his room, closing the door behind him. 'Calm down, calm down.' His heart felt like it was racing out of his chest as he debated on how to respond.

 **EREN**  
 _I'll be there! I can't wait to see you again._

The next day came quickly. Eren knew he couldn't be completely honest with Mikasa about going to meet with someone in the city, he debated all night what he should tell her. Thankfully she was in her room as he was getting dressed to leave. He opted to leave her a note on the table saying he had gone out to run errands. He never really went anywhere without Mikasa and his best friend Armin so he hoped she wouldn't suspect anything.

He walked up the road and out of site of his house before calling a taxi to pick him up. He felt his heart racing the entire ride. He wondered what kind of person Levi might be, he had a lot of questions he wanted to ask. He found the cafe easily, it was small yet cozy. He looked anxiously around, it was still fifteen minutes before their meeting time but he was still hopeful that Levi would be there. He didn't see him so he sat himself down by the front window so he could watch outside.

He settled in and ordered himself a cappuccino. When he checked the clock again it was five minutes past their meeting time. He found it a bit strange, he didn't pin Levi as the kind of person who would be late but then again city traffic was awful.

An hour after their meeting time, he felt a knot in his throat. He pushed his frustrations aside and left enough cash on the table to pay for his coffee and tip the waitress as he finally stood up to leave. Just as he was walking out he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. The name displayed was 'Levi'. He hesitated momentarily before answering.

"Hello, Eren? Did you stop by the cafe?" His voice sounded just as monotone as it had the day prior.

"Yea, I'm actually leaving now since you didn't show up." He tried his best to hide the irritation in his voice.

"Ah I am sorry, I'm calling because I had to fill in for a sick co worker. I should have called sooner but I got caught up, i'm leaving the office now. Can you meet me in front of the Survey Corps building? It's not far, i'll send you the address."

Eren felt his heart fluttering, he was relieved he wasn't stood up. "Yea, i'll be there." He practically ran through the city streets to find the address given. Thankfully it wasn't far but he was surprised at how nice the company building was. It appeared to be one of the tallest skyscrapers in the city, towering above the rest. The lettering on the front door indicated it was a medical building. 'So this is the kind of place he works at...'

"Eren." He heard his name and spun around on his heel. His breath caught in his throat as his eyes met with steel blue ones.

"L-Levi" He stuttered, scratching the back of his head. It was certainly strange seeing him during the day time, completely sober. This was definitely real. Something about him was captivating.

"Did you eat at the cafe?"

"Uh no not really, I only had a cup of coffee."

"Let me take you somewhere then. I'm parked nearby."

"Alright, let me just call my friend, we live together so I don't want her to worry." Eren was oblivious to the questionable look that Levi glanced his way as he pulled out his phone to call Mikasa. Thankfully for him she didn't answer so he left a brief message explaining he'd be out late after running into someone he knew.

Eren's eyes lit up once more as he jumped into the passenger seat of Levi's car. 'So nice!' He thought. He definitely was not used to anything fancy or new. His excitement faltered as he realized they weren't pulling out of the parking spot but rather just sitting there in silence. He glanced at Levi's face but couldn't quite read it.

"Something the matter?" Eren asked. Levi sat quietly for a little longer before finally looking over at him.

"Why did you say you want to get to know me?"

The question caught him off guard. As he tried to think of a good answer Levi leaned over him, hitting a switch on the passenger seat it suddenly flew back with a 'thud'. He felt his heartbeat loudly in his chest as his mind flashed back to the night on the couch. His words were caught in his throat but he did his best to speak anyway.

"You seemed like a good person... say, do you believe in fate?"

Levi paused, still leaning over Eren. He averted his gaze. "Not really."

Eren felt a burning in his throat, Levi was close enough that he could feel his warm breath against his lips. Before he could react Levi suddenly pulled away, retreating back to his own seat. Eren sat back up quietly, thoughts flooding his head as he looked over at the other man.

'It was almost as if he was going to kiss me...' His eyes wandered down to Levi's hands which were once again covered up by white gloves. "Hey... why do you wear those?" His voice was low and soft. He watched Levi shift uncomfortably in his seat before getting a response.

"Let's go eat at my place. We can talk there."

To the point as always, Eren pulled the lever on his seat to sit it back up as he nodded his head to agree. He would not admit it but he was a little excited to go back to Levi's apartment. He realized he wanted to know more about him, how he lived, what his dreams were. Even though Levi was very blunt and rude he also had a kind side to him, he even walked around the car to open the door for Eren.

As they entered the apartment Levi asked, "Do you like curry?"

"I love it! Not too spicy though." Eren watched Levi remove his shoes and did the same. "Can I help you cook?"

"I'd prefer if you don't touch anything."

Eren frowned as he took a seat on a bar stool next to the kitchen.

"I guess I should explain..." Levi began to speak as he pulled food out of the refrigerator to begin cooking. "I have mysophobia."

"Miso...?" Eren furrowed his eyebrows.

"It's a fear of bacteria. To put it plainly, I find it disgusting to touch anything."

Suddenly things became more clear to Eren, it explained why his apartment was so emaculate anyway, and why he always wore white leather gloves. If that was the case, he thought, maybe he was disgusted earlier when they were so close in the car. Eren thought carefully before replying. "Have you ever tried to get counseling or any kind of help?"

"Hm... not really. It doesn't interfere with my work since my boss is aware of my phobia."

Something seemed off to Eren, though Levi spoke as if he didn't really want to change he could not understand why he would go out of his way to invite a stranger into his home, take care of him while he was drunk and get so close to him in the car. He had nearly kissed him after all... right? "Why did you seem like you wanted to touch me earlier then?"

He saw Levi pause at the question as if debating how to answer him. Eren resolved himself to stand up and approach him. He knew at that moment what he wanted, he absolutely wanted to kiss him. He felt as if his heart was going to tear through his chest it was beating so quickly. Levi took a step back, pinned against the counter.

It was in that moment Eren realized just how much pleasure he took from watching Levi's expression change. Up until then he was calm and composed. It was subtle but his cheeks flushed red. He almost looked startled, it sent chills down Eren's spine. He leaned in closer, his knee pressed between Levi's legs. Eren suddenly felt cool leather against his lips as Levi's hand shot up to cover his mouth, blocking his advance.

Eren let out a sigh against his gloved hand before pulling back. "Sorry." he whispered. 'Ah I knew it, he's extremely cute! No wait wait, what am I thinking? With this man?' His face flushed red as he took a few steps back. He was shocked to see Levi's face remain slightly startled as the older man spun quickly around to hide his expression.

An awkward silence fell over the kitchen the rest of the afternoon. The day seemed to end as quickly as it began. "I should get going." Eren spoke up. "My roommate will worry if I disappear another night."

As Eren glanced up his eyes met briefly with cold blue ones. 'I wonder what he likes.' He thought silently. 'What makes him happy or delighted even.'

"I'll walk you out then." Levi replied.

He watched as Levi stood up, delicately picking up both of their plates to take them to the sink before turning back around to see him out the door. 'I wonder...' He thought as they walked side by side to the apartment elevator. 'How he smiles.'

"Do you need a ride home?"

Though Eren was delighted at the offer he politely declined, "I live a little far away, I can take the train back."

He watched as Levi contemplated, glancing around the streets and they walked out of the large apartment building. "I don't mind, besides it's getting dark, I don't like the subway at night."

Eren laughed softly. "I guess I can't say no then. Thank you... and thanks for the meal, it was really amazing you could get so much depth in the curry."

Levi didn't reply and Eren had a difficult time reading his expression since it didn't change much. Not that he minded, he could tell Levi seemed like a good person despite his temperament. Eren could feel his heart face the entire ride home, he couldn't seem to calm himself. Maybe it was from the recent memory of being pinned to the passenger seat.

He glanced down at Levi's gloved hand that rested gently on the car shifter. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of response he could get if he touched his hand. At the very least he had leather gloves so it's not like they would be directly touching. Eren let out a breath before reaching over and gently placing his hand on top of Levi's. He felt Levi flinch at the touch and expected him to pull away but he didn't.

The older man shifted in his seat but said nothing. 'I want to touch him. I want to see his composure break.' Eren finally spoke up, his voice hushed. "This is my house, just up here." He pointed. 'I have to convey my feelings.' Eren's heart raced even faster as they approached the house.

He saw Mikasa step out onto the front porch, watching as they approached. She most likely heard the car coming since they didn't live near anyone. "You can let me out here." They were still far enough from the house that Mikasa couldn't hear if they spoke. He saw Levi glance at Mikasa and pull his hand away as he pulled over.

"Don't worry, she's just my annoying roommate." Eren sighed. He wasn't very good at reading the current situation, but he knew what he had to say. He leaned over close enough to whisper into Levi's ear. "Thank you for the ride. Also... I will make you fall for me... is that alright?"

Levi's face turned a light shade of pink and he turned his head away. "You're welcome." His voice was soft this time.

"Well then, good night." Eren stepped out of the car. It took everything in his power not to break down right there in a mixture of embarrassment and joy. As he walked down towards the house he could see Mikasa raising an eyebrow at him. He knew she was too far to have seen or heard anything but he could not hide how flushed his face was.

"Hey Eren, who was that?" She questioned him before he could even get to the porch.

"Yo Mikasa. N-No one just a friend I guess!" He half shouted. "Gotta run, bathroom, sorry!" He sprinted past her into the house, running as fast as he could to his room and slammed the door behind him. He slumped his back against the door, sliding to the floor.

To like someone, nonetheless a man, and one that he can't even touch at that. He didn't know how to handle such conflicting emotions. The only thing he was sure of was that he felt he was being pulled in by fate.

* * *

 **Hello there! Phew thank you for being patient for me to post this chapter, my work load has been killing me...**

 **On the positive side Eren was able to portray some of his feelings, the next chapter will be more centered around Levi's POV.**

 **As always, please feel free to leave a review~**


End file.
